The aim of this chapter was to investigate fathers’ rights to family benefits in the Nordic region as well as the outcomes of the policies, and if the rights of fathers are in accordance with the ...
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The aim of this chapter was to investigate fathers’ rights to family benefits in the Nordic region as well as the outcomes of the policies, and if the rights of fathers are in accordance with the dual earner/dual carer model. In these five countries, child benefits, child maintenance and paid parental leave resemble each other in their basic principles and structures, but fathers’ rights and entitlements follow different logics across countries. The Swedish family policies seem to support both parents to share care work and providing financially for their children after parental separation. In the other Nordic countries, non-resident fathers do not have the same rights to family benefit support as mothers, because benefits are usually paid to the parent with whom the child resides.Less

Fathers’ rights to family cash benefits in Nordic countries

Mia HakovirtaAnita HaatajaGuðný Björk EydalTine Rostgaard

Published in print: 2014-11-26

The aim of this chapter was to investigate fathers’ rights to family benefits in the Nordic region as well as the outcomes of the policies, and if the rights of fathers are in accordance with the dual earner/dual carer model. In these five countries, child benefits, child maintenance and paid parental leave resemble each other in their basic principles and structures, but fathers’ rights and entitlements follow different logics across countries. The Swedish family policies seem to support both parents to share care work and providing financially for their children after parental separation. In the other Nordic countries, non-resident fathers do not have the same rights to family benefit support as mothers, because benefits are usually paid to the parent with whom the child resides.

Between ‘two worlds’ of father politics represents the USA and Sweden as two ends on an international continuum in ways of thinking about fatherhood. The ‘two worlds’ model locates the decline of ...
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Between ‘two worlds’ of father politics represents the USA and Sweden as two ends on an international continuum in ways of thinking about fatherhood. The ‘two worlds’ model locates the decline of patriarchal male-breadwinning fatherhood as a core concern of comparative welfare state and gender studies. It offers historical accounts of the development of ‘father-friendly’ parental leave policies in Sweden and child support enforcement policies in the USA. The book brings together, major debates from child development psychology, ethology, sociology, gender studies and comparative social policy. In this way, the book synthesizes a wide breadth of comparative and inter-disciplinary analysis into a new typology or model for interpreting welfare regime approaches to contemporary fatherhood. It provides comparative analysis for students, scholars and social policy makers in the United States and Nordic countries, the UK, Ireland, Japan, China and the European Union. Overall, the book locates concepts of fatherhood, the decline of patriarchy, shared parenting and the de-commodification of parents as critical to ongoing debates about individualisation, internationalisation and the dawn of post-patriarchal welfare arrangements for the 21st century.Less

Between Two Worlds of Father Politics : USA or Sweden?

Michael Rush

Published in print: 2015-07-01

Between ‘two worlds’ of father politics represents the USA and Sweden as two ends on an international continuum in ways of thinking about fatherhood. The ‘two worlds’ model locates the decline of patriarchal male-breadwinning fatherhood as a core concern of comparative welfare state and gender studies. It offers historical accounts of the development of ‘father-friendly’ parental leave policies in Sweden and child support enforcement policies in the USA. The book brings together, major debates from child development psychology, ethology, sociology, gender studies and comparative social policy. In this way, the book synthesizes a wide breadth of comparative and inter-disciplinary analysis into a new typology or model for interpreting welfare regime approaches to contemporary fatherhood. It provides comparative analysis for students, scholars and social policy makers in the United States and Nordic countries, the UK, Ireland, Japan, China and the European Union. Overall, the book locates concepts of fatherhood, the decline of patriarchy, shared parenting and the de-commodification of parents as critical to ongoing debates about individualisation, internationalisation and the dawn of post-patriarchal welfare arrangements for the 21st century.